Federal Government holds inaugural Women in Sport Workforce Roundtable

Federal Minister for Sport Anika Wells hosted the Government’s inaugural roundtable for women in the sport industry earlier this week to help frame their issues ahead of the Prime Minister’s Jobs and Skills Summit.

Around 50 women were at the roundtable, including basketballer Lauren Jackson, Paralympics Australia Chief Executive Catherine Clark, former Olympian Linley Frame, Football Australia Head of Women’s Performance Sarah Walsh, and Australian tennis champion Casey Dellacqua.

The event was facilitated by Kate Jenkins, Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, and a member of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

The roundtable considered practical and sustainable short and longer terms options, including connecting and upscaling existing initiatives, to:

• Reduce barriers to employment for women

• Provide training and strategic pathways for women athletes to transition to the sport workforce

• Create a more engaged, diverse, safe and inclusive sport workforce, and

• Raise productivity to provide better job security and wages.

Minister Wells said the national debate on employment and the workforce provided an important opportunity to correct sport’s gender imbalance.

“Women bring a diversity of skills and experience but continue to be underrepresented in decision-making in the sport workforce in Australia,” Minister Wells said.

“Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that men are earning an average of $263.90 more than women a week.

“While recognition of women’s sports has risen considerably in recent years, this hasn’t translated into more women in power in the sport industry.

“Correcting this will ensure our sport sector, which is so important to our national psyche and culture, properly reflects our nation.”

Jackson said the Women in Sport Workforce Roundtable was a great initiative to help close the gender pay gap and noted “while women are increasingly being recognised for their on-field excellence, we need to improve access and recognition for women in off-field roles.

“It is pretty simple, boosting women’s workforce participation in sport can help build the workforce required and close the gender pay gap.”

Image: (from left) Kate Jenkins, Minister Wells, Lauren Jackson